CITY OF DERRY: McMaster to make Judges Road return

Kevin McLaughlin

Terry McMaster is expected to make a sensational return to the City of Derry dug-out.

It’s believed that McMaster will return to the coaching set-up over the next few weeks, possibly after Christmas to take over the reins gain.

Currently sitting at the foot of the AIL Ulster Bank Division 2B table, the Judges Road men, who haven’t had a head coach all season, have not won a match this campaign.

At the minute Richard McCarter, Stephen Dougas, Joe Gallanagh and James Doherty are on the coaching staff, but McMaster’s return should give them a boost.

“It’s great to have Terry coming back into the fold,” stated McCarter.

“For me personally I have found it quite pressurised, especially having to play as well, so to have someone like Terry come in and take a bit of the weight off all our shoulders is great.

“With Stephen going to Australia in January, that’s pretty much why he’s coming in to fill that void.

“Between now and Christmas he won’t be involved in the coaching, he’ll be working behind the scenes trying to make a few players available for us, to make the coaching easier for us on a Tuesday and Thursday night and then after Christmas when Steven goes I would image he’ll have more of a hands on role from then.

“But Terry’s experience is first class and his knowledge of the game and the club, which is the most important thing, will be invaluable for us.”

This weekend City of Derry host Dungannon in the AIL and McMaster is expected to be in the dug-out.

“We have all this positivity surrounding Terry coming back, but at the end of the day you have got to get the results,” added McCarter.

“We have to start winning before it’s too late; we are already at the bottom but we are still fairly tight to Thomond and Skerries but you just don’t want to have too much daylight.

“So we have to start targetting a few matches and getting a few matches were we feel that we can win.

“Hopefully we can get more players back from injury and that will definitely improve us.”